She Was Never There
by GeneralDouchington
Summary: A short I was planning on writing playing on the idea that Tali died during the Suicide Mission during ME2 and that Shepard never quite accepted it going into the events of ME3. I eventually just gave up, and this is what there is of it.


Everything slid back into focus, and Shepard found himself reunited with the dull humming of the Normandy, and the empty void staring overhead. A humble snoring came from his side as he saw Tali lying next to him. He ran his hand over her cheek, smiling, before quietly rising out of bed trying not to wake her. Shepard stood near the bed for a moment, scanning the cabin. The room had an uncanny feeling to it, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

Shepard wandered aimlessly throughout, examining all aspects of the room. Something didn't quite sit right in his mind, he couldn't exactly remember what had happened, how he returned to his cabin and fell asleep. The last thing he could remember was a destroyed ship. Quarian, possibly? As much as he didn't want to wake her, Shepard still felt the need to ask Tali, figuring she would remember, at least. Shepard looked back at his bed, now alarmed and confused. Tali wasn't there.

Shepard scanned the room, frantically, a sharp pain began growing in his head. Before he could say anything, faint, but familiar, voices echoed throughout the room. He could hear the voices fading in and out, catching fragments of dialogue.

_Hold on, Shepard... You're going to be alright..._

Shepard took a step back, "EDI, give me a status update. What's going on?" he said, waiting for a response. There was only silence untill the pain returned in his mind, and more voices faded in.

_That long without oxygen. Chances of s-_

_... Alright, move... get me the paddles! Goddammit, Shepard, you are not..._

Shepard panicked, turning and heading for the door, as the voice returned, louder than before.

_CLEAR!_

A loud noise crashed through his mind, every fiber of his being screaming in pain. He thrashed around, screaming, hands on his head.

_CLEAR!_

The same noise broke down on him, almost shattering him. He felt as if his mind and body were being torn apart, scenery around him falling apart at the seams. No longer aboard the Normandy, he found himself in an empty blackness. Among absolutely nothing. He almost began to recover, before the same voice screamed back into his mind one last time, breaking him.

_CLEAR!_

Shepard opened his eyes, only to be blinded by some bright light overhead. He thrashed around violently, turning his head and scanning the room around him.

"Shepard! Oh, thank God!" exclaimed Doctor Chakwas.

"Surprised. Thought you were gone. Glad to see you are still with us." Mordin said, relieved.

"Where," Shepard began, weakly, "where am I?"

"Aboard the Normandy, Commander. You're going to be fine." Chakwas assured

"What happened?" Shepard asked, still confused by everything that had happened.

"Was hoping you could tell us." Mordin said, almost looking worried.

"I- I don't know... I..." Shepard muttered, placing his hand on his forehead.

"We really should let you rest, Commander. You've been through enough today." Chakwas said

"No, " Shepard began, trying to collect his thoughts, "I can't put together exactly what happened before, I just... don't remember. It completely escapes me. What was I doing prior to, well..."

"Aboard damaged quarian vessel, assisting in the search for survivors after war on Rannoch. Unsure what exactly you were doing, Shepard."

It slowly came back to Shepard. After the war between the quarians and geth, with the quarians being triumphant, there many losses on the quarian side, especially ships that had been damaged and lost contact with the rest of the fleet. Shepard had volunteered to help search for survivors, feeling he should in what other ways he could.

Then it hit him. The last thing he recalls doing before everything went black, Tali.

"Where's Tali? Is she alright?" Shepard blurted out, breaking the silence.

"Tali? Tali'_Zorah_? Confused. Thought-"

"Are you alright, Commander?" Chakwas interupted, seeming even more worried, this time.

"I'm fine, but what about Tali?"

"What do you mean? She's dead." Chakwas stated coldly

Shepard stared at her, confused and horrified.

"She died in the Collector Base, _months_ ago, Shepard. Don't you remember?" Chakwas said

"No!" Shepard screamed loudly, dieing from diseases.


End file.
